


deuce

by Recluse



Series: serve, rally, and spike [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, M/M, Set after nationals, Slow Build, but before actual uni
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 02:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5610853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recluse/pseuds/Recluse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It starts with a train rattling to Tokyo, and ideals.</p>
            </blockquote>





	deuce

"Sawamura!"

"Kuroo." Sawamura steps off the train and heads towards him, meets him with a solid handshake, one Kuroo returns with a grin. "Been a while."

"Yeah. Oh," Kuroo points at a transmission tower, visible from the train platform, "That's not Tokyo Tower, by the way."

Sawamura punches him, not at all lightly, when he says that. The smile on his face betrays the pain though, and Kuroo can't help but grin slyly, letting out a bark of laughter.

"Shut up. I knew that." He turns, looking around at the busy street they've came up from. "Where's the actual tower, though? Or is it not even in Tokyo?"

"That direction." Kuroo points, "Though that building is pretty much covering it. And of course it's in Tokyo -- do you country folk name things after different cities?"

Sawamura punches him again, and Kuroo laughs, even though his arm is starting to hurt thanks to Sawamura's punches.

"No, we don't. Which way are we going?"

"My house is this way. We have to switch trains." His natural expression, Sawamura thinks, is sort of sleazy. "Which we could have done earlier, if you hadn't been punching me."

* * *

The suburbs of Tokyo are actually somewhat similar to the suburbs of Miyagi, which Daichi finds sort of disappointing, though he doesn't say so. It's sort of obvious that they would be, when he thinks about it, but some part of him had held expectations of something different.

"I was kinda surprised when you called." Kuroo says, and Daichi turns his attention back to him and away from the scenery. "But it was just to use me, huh?"

"I figured it wouldn't hurt to try." He answers back, not responding to the provocation, though he does make it known that he heard it, an overly pleasant smile on his face. "There are a couple of schools I want to see here. I can't visit them all in one day."

"Oh yeah? Which schools?" Kuroo stretches, arms in the air before settling them at his sides. "Maybe we're thinking of the same ones."

Daichi isn't sure if that thought is a good one, or a bad one. Nonetheless, he tells him, and Kuroo barks out another laugh when he hears the list.

His laugh is so...Unexpected. Even though he's heard it before, it still seems out of place, out of character for someone with Kuroo's face.

"Your first choice is my first choice here." There's that sleazy looking smile that Daichi knows isn't meant to be sleazy at all. "Imagine, going to the same school. I bet you picked it for the volleyball team."

He's been completely seen through, he realizes. Still, he tries to defend himself. "That was part of the reason, but I picked it based on academics too!"

"Sure." Kuroo shrugs, the smile still on his face. "Their athletics and medical department is great, after all. But I bet," So smug that Daichi feels a vein twitch, "that you picked it mostly for its volleyball team."

"They're a good team!" He says, and Kuroo laughs again, but it's not that weird one, this time. "And I bet you picked it for that too."

"Well, it definitely was a factor." Hands in his pockets, he grins down at Daichi. "Though I'm actually aiming for their sports medicine department."

The idea of Kuroo as a doctor is enough for Daichi's expression to contort into vague horror. Kuroo looks at him like he's offended.

"Hey, I'm in a college-prep class! Don't look at me like that!"

"You don't really seem like the med student type." Daichi answers, and Kuroo looks even more wounded. "And that's the department I want to be in."

"Oho?" That can't possibly be a good sign. "Maybe we'll be classmates, Sawamura. If you can get in, I mean."

"It's more along the lines if you can get in, I think." Is how he answers, and Kuroo laughs again.

Daichi thinks that this week won't be all that bad, if this is how it's going to go.

* * *

Sawamura keeps him on his toes.

That's not really a bad thing, in fact, Tetsurou finds it kind of enjoyable, having someone who will spar with him like that. Sawamura is the crafty type, after all, though he can't say he's not the same. In honesty, the fact that they're the same type is probably why Sawamura can keep up with him at all, and vice versa. It's almost refreshing, when he thinks about it, given that most of the people he usually interacts with are different types entirely, Sawamura is a breath of fresh air. Like going to the country.

He snickers at the thought, watching Sawamura come downstairs, drowsy.

"How'd you sleep?"

"...I'm not sure I did, to be honest."

Tetsurou laughs again, wonders how many times he's laughed because of something Sawamura's said in the past day. He swears he wasn't this funny at the training camp they'd both gone to way back when, but maybe that was just because they hadn't really had much time to talk about anything beyond volleyball and statistics.

"I understand," Sawamura continues, and he looks so tired, bags under his eyes, "why you sleep in that weird way."

"It's loud, huh?"

"Unbearably." He's so worn out that Tetsurou takes pity on him, handing him a glass of juice.

"Kenma can sleep right through all the noise, but I have no idea how he does it."

"How does he do it...?" Sawamura mumbles, and Tetsurou grins.

"So, where are we going first?" He leans on the counter. "You tell me, Sawamura."

* * *

It's always busy, this train at this time, but even though he knows that, he's never prepared for it. He has to crowd Sawamura, facing him as they hold onto the hanging straps, uncomfortably close for someone that he can call a good acquaintance at best.

Sawamura takes it in stride, isn't bothered by the proximity except for how difficult it is to move at all when the train is this packed. A part of him is intrigued, wondering if this is how it always is here. The city really is different; while he's been on crowded trains before, it's never been like this. It's hot, and stuffy, and he sort of hates that Kuroo is looking down on him, even though that's just what happens when you're forced to look at each other and you're different heights, but...It's weirdly fun too, being here, and he can't help but smile.

"Is it always this crowded?"

"At this time of day, yeah." Kuroo shifts as much as he can, trying to get at a better angle to talk to Sawamura. "It's not all the time, but at midday it gets really busy around here."

Doesn't help that it's an ideal time to go look at universities. Kuroo can spot at least ten other people on the car they're on that probably have the same idea as them, groups and pairs chatting with each other, passing around cellphones. Sawamura strains to see when he notices Kuroo's gaze at the crowd, and Kuroo snickers under his breath at how short he is. Sawamura gives him a look, which he returns with an innocent smile that's really anything but innocent, and he looks annoyed, for a moment, but soon enough he smiles back, and Kuroo feels something sort of weird bubble in his gut. There's no time to dwell on it though, when the train lurches to a stop and they all shift around, trying to get out.

* * *

Daichi takes a deep breath when they finally stop, leaning on a tree. It's not so much the walking as much as the crowd that's wearing him out. It's a whole different experience, trying to weave through so many people, one made harder still because Kuroo knows how to and is good at it, slinks in between spaces without issue like a cat, and Daichi has to follow him in order to keep up. He's not really used to it, and he can admit himself that, while he may not be that tall, he takes up some amount of space with the rest of him. The only thing on his side is the presence he has, enough to make other people move over, the feeling of 'captain' still hanging heavy around him, even though he's turned his title over to Ennoshita. It's not conceit that makes him think that either, since Kuroo was the one who had pointed it out, with a look on his face like he was challenging Daichi to emit it more than he did -- they both had been captains, after all.

"What, tired already?"

"A little." He needs the break more than the pride. "Give me a minute. There's a lot to take in."

"Want a drink? There's a vending machine."

"It's weird when you're courteous."

"That comment was unnecessary." He doesn't sound all that offended though, and Daichi chuckles. He can hear him walking away, and when he looks back up, Kuroo's coming back towards him, cans in hand.

"You drink these?"

"Yeah, thanks." He takes a swig and tastes something mildly fruity and cold, and it refreshes him enough to look around at where they've stopped.

"This is a pretty nice park."

"Looks like it, huh?" The way he says it makes Daichi think he hasn't actually been here before. "It's pretty close to the campus. Look," he points towards the right, "there's a volleyball court over there."

Daichi nods, watching a group of people play. They don't really look experienced, but they do look like they're having a good time, and it makes him a little nostalgic in a way that doesn't make much sense.

"Wish we could play a game, but there's only two of us." Kuroo says, and Daichi can't help but agree.

They stand there for a few minutes, just watching, and then Daichi finishes his drink and says, "Well, let's go."

He can't dwell on it. Even though he feels something stirring in his chest, he can only go forward.

"Yeah." Kuroo turns. "This way."

* * *

The campus is great. The volleyball is great. The atmosphere is great, and so is the food in the area, Tetsurou thinks as they sit down in a ramen shop, Sawamura's choice.

"It's really," He's stuffing his face, not that Tetsurou is holding back either, "nice here."

"That's why it's my first choice." He shoves half an egg in his mouth, savoring the yolk.

They chat about volleyball, and their teammates, and other things -- ramen is his favorite food, Tetsurou learns, he's younger than him by about a month and a half, he's worried about the second years taking over the team since nearly all of them are rowdy -- he nods along with that, both wishing that some of his own, i.e. Kenma, had some of that energy, while others, i.e. Yamamoto, cooled down.

Well, they aren't _his_ team anymore, but the sentiment is the same. He wonders if he should go look in on them, resolves to do that soon.

They don't talk about nationals, because it's a little too soon and a little too close to the heart.

Sawamura tells him he can call him by his first name when they're going home, sun fading out as they sit on the less packed train back to Tetsurou's place. It's something that he lets his friends do, he says, and points out that since he's staying at his place, Tetsurou is friend enough.

Tetsurou feels that bubble in his gut again when he says, "If you say so, Daichi."

It's not bad. But it's not good either, he thinks, staring out the window as Daichi dozes off.

* * *

They travel day by day, making small talk and getting into crowded trains, morning runs and challenges that leave them sometimes breathless and lighthearted, sometimes cursing their own stupidity. It's all a matter of where and what, from practicing receives to racing their way around unknown campuses to eating until they drop, getting to the station first and finding the vending machine that isn't broken. Kuroo slouches when he wants to talk to Sawamura, and Sawamura faces him as if he isn't taller, he looks at him in a way that makes Kuroo feel like they're eye to eye. Like a challenge in itself, not that he dislikes it.

Sawamura keeps him on his toes. Kuroo keeps him on his.

He doesn't really think Kuroo's natural look is all that sleazy anymore, though he doesn't hesitate to tease him about it despite that. Kuroo always gets him back, one way or another, goading him into all kinds of things he'd usually try to hold back on, and the week passes by like nothing, with the both of them feeling a little sorry when it's over.

Kuroo feels his gut bubble during the last night Sawamura is there, talking between each other about the important things, about what to do in the future, about volleyball and pursuit and letting go, about life -- Sawamura is an old man in a young body, but Kuroo isn't any different, Sawamura thinks so when they both sigh, thinking about what's to come and what may not.

It's a fist bump and a genuine smile that they say goodbye with, a teasing call to not fail the exam, a wave goodbye and, in Kuroo's laboring, toiling gut, bubbles that go right up to his heart.

He tries not to think about it. It's not worth thinking about.

Sawamura sits on the train and tries to remember the stop he's supposed to cross over on, and then what he should get for dinner. Thinking of dinner reminds him of last night, a vicious eat off that had led to Kuroo almost passing out, and he smiles, trying not to laugh on the train.

Kuroo was a lot different than he'd thought. He was sharp, and crafty, and sometimes annoying -- Kuroo sneezes on the way home and wonders if he should invest in a scarf -- but, Sawamura thinks, solid, and strangely trustworthy. He knew he was that way on the court, but proving to be just as steady off the court when he wanted to be had been an unexpected happenstance. Sawamura appreciates it though, thinks it's a good trait for a person to have, thinks about his friends and the team that's no longer his, thinks that he could get used to it.

It's a quiet thought, too genuine at heart to think comfortably, but, Sawamura thinks as he stares out the window, he wouldn't mind going to the same university and being on the same team as Kuroo.

* * *

_You pass?_

_Yep. You?_

_Obviously._

**Author's Note:**

> this is a disastrous idea but here I am anyways
> 
> The next in this series will be the actual meat of the story, but I don't think I'll actually get around to that until we see if Nekoma even made it to nationals...As well as seeing if Karasuno and Nekoma get to have their fated battle. I just had to write and post this now, because Karasuno making it to nationals is hope enough, I got into this series literally 3 days ago, and this ship dragged me into hell. 
> 
> I love pining Kuroo. Expect to see him, along with dense-as-a-brick Daichi.
> 
> Hope we'll get to know about Nekoma and Karasuno soon...See you then.
> 
> **One other thing. I headcanon Kuroo having a bunch of loud siblings, but I also didn't want to set something like that up only to have it shot down, so...Imagine a lot of construction or something goes on in the area where he lives. Anything to explain the bedhead.


End file.
